


Avengers Cove, ME

by olndina



Category: Captain America, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers
Genre: Kind of a Murder She Wrote AU, M/M, SG Rogers is JB Fletcher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-14 22:42:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9208025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olndina/pseuds/olndina
Summary: Former NYPD detective Bucky Barnes is the new sheriff in Avengers Cove, Maine, and after moving his adoptive daughter Leelah from the city, he's looking forward to a peaceful life in the sleepy little coastal town.  Then, on the eve of THE social event of the year, someone discovers a dead body in the garden of the Cove's most affluent family, he discovers that life here isn't nearly as quiet as he thought, especially after he meets the local celebrity.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I originally began this for the Stucky Big Bang. I mean, I signed up and everything. Unfortunately, life happened and it took me longer than I planned. So, here you go. The story is finished, but I still need to finish typing and editing all the shit. I do my own editing, but if you want to be my beta, I'll love you forever and always.

* * *

_2008_

It's colder at night, in the sand, but that doesn't comfort Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th Rangers. The poundage of the equipment he carries and the ghost heat of the day's oppressive sun continues to bake him. He's breathing heavier than normal.

There's something wrong with this mission, but for the life of him, Bucky can't figure out what that it of information is that he's forgotten, except for the niggle that whatever it is, it's really goddamned important. He sucks in more water, hoping like hell that their guide will hurry up with his report. It was a little after 23:00 local time, and if the five-person team didn't move out in the next fifteen minutes, their window of opportunity would close, and Lemar and her young child Lailuma would have to wait another six weeks before they'd have another chance to escape Lemar's husband, a high-ranking officer in the Ten Rings.

_Goddamnit, where is Brock?_

"Yo, Barnes." Bucky nods his head in acknowledgement to the older soldier.

"Dum Dum."

"You think that maybe there's something smelling awful fishy in this sea of sand?"

"You're not wrong, Tim."

"Well, hell, we must be about to die if you're calling me that. Last time I was Tim - "

"We lost Farnsworth."

"What's the deal, man? You think this is like Winter Soldier?"

"God in heaven, I hope not. Just stay - "

"Sharp." Dugan's teeth flash in the moonlight. "Always am, Sarge. Always am." Bucky watches the other man go back to his post on the far side of their bivouac, and the unease only continues to itch its way up Bucky's back. Without looking at his watch, he knows that they're just shy two minutes from a forced bug-out. He casts a look at Lemar, thankful, at least, that Lailuma sleeps still in her mother's arm. They still have a few hours for the sedative Jones gave her to continue to work. He feels eyes on him and looks up from the child to see that her mother is watching him. She gives a nod of her head, as though fortifying herself, and walks over to him. She uncovers her mouth, and Bucky can't help but be mesmerized by the youthful face that looks on the world with such old, wise eyes. "Sgt. Bucky?"

"Yes, Lemar?"

"If this plan of yours doesn't work and we can't escape...I want you to promise me something." It's his job to protest her fatalism, but before he can open his mouth to do so, she stops him. "No, Bucky, you don't get to promise me that everything will be okay, not when I can tell time just as well as you can." She reaches out a hand and places it over one of his, her nails biting into his flesh. "If this Rumlow fellow doesn't make it back in enough time, then you must take Lailuma with you."

"Lemar - "

"Promise me." Lailuma snuffles in her sleep, rubbing a balled up fist across her nose, then starts to pull at a nipple that isn't actually in her mouth. Bucky automatically pulls his hand from Lemar's grasp and reaches out a pinky finger to the sleeping baby, as though she were one of his sister's kids and they were enjoying a quiet evening in her backyard and nowhere near associated with life and death, only life. It's thinking about his family and 4th of July barbecues that has Bucky wanting nothing more than to provide all that he can for Lemar and her child. When Lailuma's settled again, Bucky withdraws his finger and looks up to her mother.

"You have my word. I'll get her out, make sure she's safe. Happy."

"You're a good man, Sgt. Bucky."

"Yeah, but don't spread it around too much, might damage my reputation."

Movement catches his eye, and Bucky looks up in relief when he sees the familiar face of Brock Rumlow come into view. A handsome devil, there's no doubt about that. A former Marine, he'd joined the CIA as soon as he'd finished his third tour of duty. From there, he'd gone straight back into the sandbox in order to infiltrate Ten Rings. And now, he's helping Bucky take Lemar and Lailuma as far away from genocidal maniacs as he possibly can.

From the moment they first met, there had been something about Brock that drew Bucky in. They'd just locked eyes at that initial briefing, and the man's cocky grin and elevator eyes had gone straight to Bucky's dick. They'd fucked each other twice before Brock had gone back to to his campsite with the Ten Rings that night, and Bucky had felt satisfaction pull its way through his backside and into his bones the whole next day. That had been two months ago, and since then, they'd met up four other times, each meeting leaving at least one of them walking a little stiff the next day. Last night had been no different in the athleticism, but they both had known it was their last time together.

==  
__

Brock's eyes were full of something more desperate. When he settled on his knees at Bucky's feet, both of them already stripped to the waist, there had been a huskiness to his voice that Bucky couldn't quite place.

"Let me taste you, sergeant. Use that pretty dick of yours and fuck my mouth."

Bucky's fingers fumbled at the fastenings of his fatigues, and never mind his boots still laced up. Brock put his hands over Bucky's and took over, chuckling as he did so, before leaning in to run a tongue over Bucky's navel before running his tongue further down until he took the tip of Bucky's cock in hits his mouth.

Bucky's hands flew to Brock's head, only to slip down to his shoulders, where his fingers snagged on a bandage taped across his left shoulder blade. Bucky would have commented on it, but at that moment, Brock pulled Bucky's cock straight to the back of his throat, hollowing his cheeks, and exciting stars to explode all over Bucky's body. Bucky completely forgot about the bandage then, and didn't remember it even after Brock had pounded Bucky into his regulation cot. He just watched--his head propped up on an arm, his belly crusted with come and his ass still leaking lube--as Brock redressed himself in his shawls and scarves before slipping back to his own tent.

==

Watching Brock make his way towards him, though, Bucky thinks about that bandage again, and wondering where he'd seen it before, convinced it has something to do with the whatever-it-is Buck's missed. More, Brock's walking as though he hasn't a care in the world, and considering that they were about to attempt a border crossing with these two charges, Brock had no business being so lax and carefree. Even his smirk is off, and not the half-smile of a man who fucked-you-but-good the night before. The tattoo of Bucky's heart trebles, his "Danger Will Robinson" in high alert because -

_Tattoo! The bandage!_

The realization that Brock is a Ten Rings agent must show on his face because Bucky doesn't even suck in a breath to warn the others before a searing pain burns itself into his shoulder, and Rumlow is snarling, trying to drive his blade through the muscle and sinew. Bucky screams and drops his gun, feeling its weight snap against his leg as the tether keeps the assault rifle from slamming to the ground. All feeling Bucky has in his left arm is completely gone, but the promise he made to Lemar keeps him in the moment and focused on fighting Rumlow even as the bastard continues to drive the blade as far through Bucky's shoulder as he can. Bucky, with all the strength adrenaline provides, uses his right hand to latch onto Rumlow's knife hand to steady him, and finds the hem of the traitor's robes with one foot while he finds his balls with the other. When Rumlow still hangs onto his knife, Bucky head-butts him straight into the nose. He has no time to register the crunch and rush of blood that heralds his hitting pay dirt as Rumlow swears and attempts to back away from the assault, so Bucky uses his size thirteens to continue to anchor him in place as he draws his fist back and punches him one more time, this time ensuring that the asshole goes down into the sand.

Bucky unholsters his pistol, intent on putting a bullet in Rumlow's brain pan, but he feels a tug on his ankle. He looks down to find Lemar, Lailuma tucked as close to her breast as possible. Bucky drops the gun as he drops to the sand to pull the mother and child up, because he still has a mission. He's still trying to figure out how to lever the woman up with his one working arm, but she moans in pain and Bucky notices that the sand surrounding her is darker. He rolls her gently to her side and pulls her skirts up, hoping against hope that her wound is something easy to deal with. "Oh, fuck." He doesn't mean to say it out loud, but it's already past his lips at the sight of the bullet hole in her thigh. It's her femoral artery, and from the look in her eyes, Lemar's final act is to ensure that Bucky makes good on his promise.

"Sgt....Bucky? Please." Bucky is frozen, torn at the life ending in front of his eyes, and the sudden onslaught of the realization that they are in battle, that his men are in a fight for their lives; the Ten Rings and the four people trusts most in the world murdering each other in the half light of the moon on a clear desert night. Lemar digs her nails into the same hand from their earlier conversation, grounding Bucky. "Please." Her voice is weaker, and there's no possible way that he should be able to hear her, but everything that she wants him to do is in her eyes, in her still-strong grip on his hand. The sound he hears next is his heart breaking as he takes one last look at his team, his men who are laying down their lives for this brave woman who defied all to stand up for what she thought was right, to save her daughter's life. He clenches his fists together, and realizes that he has control and feeling in his injured arm again. It's with this knowledge that he leans over to kiss Lemar goodbye as he takes the infant into his arms.

Their vehicles aren't too terribly far away, but it feels as though it's the length of several football fields as he runs like hell to the closest jeep. He climbs into the driver's seat, and it's then that he realizes that there's no way to drive with Lailuma in his life. Desperate, he shrugs his pack off his shoulders and chucks it into the floor. There are three sleep rolls in the back of the jeep, so he chucks two them in the floor and flings the third open in order to nestle the baby into the floorboards. It's not ideal in the least, but if Bucky has any hope to get the two of them to safety, he has no choice.

He turns the key in the ignition and guns the engine. He takes one last look at the battle raging beyond, and sees one of the Ten Rings goons break away from the rest, gun already firing at Bucky and Lailuma. Bucky involuntarily sucks in a breath, ready to die, but then Dum Dum, big, strong Dum Dum who has not been the same since James Farnsworth died in his arms in the fucked-up cluster that was Winter Soldier, tackles the man to the ground, pinning him into the sand. Bucky spins the wheels and floors the gas pedal, driving onward to their secondary extraction point thirty miles in the opposite direction of their primary one.

It's five minutes later that he hears the explosion.

If there are tears wetting his cheeks, well there's only Lailuma there to witness it, and Bucky doesn't think she minds too much.

* * *


	2. New Sheriff in Town

* * *

_Five Years Later_

Bucky jerks awake, his right arm already grabbing at his left shoulder, the tacky, gritty phantom feel of sand mingling with blood makes him long for a toothbrush and a bath. He can hear Lemar's dying wish, and feel the weight of an infant Lailuma in his arms. His dream was also a perfect memory of that fucking night, but for one important fact: Lailuma's dying in his arms.

Intellectually, he knows that she is still sleeping safely in her room, but his brain is so far away from rational thought and so far into survival mode that he scrambles out of bed, sweat-soaked in spite of the cool Maine nights, and strips down the hall to her bedroom. It'd been more than t a month since one of these nights, but in their new house for the first time, on the night before Luna's first day of school, Bucky shouldn't be surprised that his brain decided to fuck with him.

He hitches his sleep pants back up to a decent resting point on his hips and manages to tip-toe the last few feet to his daughter's room, rather than barreling in, guns blazing.

She's asleep. Well, of course she's asleep. Her hair is splayed out in massive curls, except for the hank of hair she always olds when she's down for the night. If he squints his eyes just right, the light shines in from the hall and he can just make out the lighter tendrils of reddish, blonde sun-bleached hair from a whole summer of soccer camps. She is beautiful, despite the epic throw-down they'd had earlier that evening.

_"But, Daddy, what if we sleep through the_ alarm _? I will miss the first day of school, and then I will be behind!"_

_And, yes, Bucky does realize that he's going to have his work cut out for him if she's already displaying this level of anxiety about being behind, but, look, she's at least excited about school, and he and her teachers can help figure out coping mechanisms for her before she has a major breakdown._

_"Sweetheart, we're getting up at the same time as we always do. Only, instead of taking you to camp or to Ms. Skye's, you're going to school while I go to work."_

_"But, Daddy! What - "_

_"Luna, no more buts, unless - "_

_"They're chicken butts. Yes, sir." He leans down and kisses her around her pouty face._

_"That's my good girl. Now, I'll tell you what. You can pick out your clothes, undies, socks, and shoes, put them beside your bed, and then find me in the living room. I have a surprise for you."_

_Her eyes had gone saucer big, and she took off down the hall. Bucky, grinning as he did so, marked his place in his book and set it aside before he headed to his bathroom where a set of brand new Minnie Mouse hair bows were waiting for such a time he'd have to bribe his daughter...like the night before her first day of Kindergarten._

Now, in her other hand, she's clutching those prized bows. Her soft snores are the most precious sounds he knows, and for ten minutes, he stays like that: listening to her breathe, and just existing in the same space as she.

Finally, though, the ache in his shoulders ease and his heart rate returns resting normal. He forces himself away from the door, and shuffles for his room. For a sold half minute, he convinces himself that he's going to be able to sleep for a the last couple of hours before their alarms are set, but then, Rumlow's face, both in the throes of passion and in the lust of attempted murder, hazes its way into his mind's eye. His damn shoulder twinges again, so he shrugs into his soft cotton Rangers class t-shirt and makes his way to the kitchen and, more importantly, the coffeemaker. If sleep is going to elude him, he's at least going through the employee files for Avengers Cove Police Department one more time. Like Luna, he also has a first day, and the retiring Sheriff Phil Coulson is leaving some awfully big shoes to fill.

For all that Avengers Cove seems like a sleepy little town where nothing happens, the ACPD is surprisingly staffed with exemplary former members of the military who, by rights, should be utilizing their skills in a more crime-ridden area, such as Bucky's former job in New York City.

When he opens the file folder for Deputy Clinton Francis Barton, he's expecting to find the same information from the previous ten or so times he's read up on his deputies and the support staff. Instead, there's a post-it note on over the picture of Barton's face. He pulls the paper off and reads it.

>   
>  _Bucky:  
>  ___
> 
> _Honestly, May told me I shouldn't do this because "if he's as good as you and Fury say, he'll figure it out himself." Truly, I could write reams of notes for you on all of the town's residents, and it would still only skim the surface. As a compromise, I'm going to give you some insight into the people you'll be working with._
> 
> __
> 
> _Godspeed,_
> 
> __
> 
> _Phil_

The next hour finds him pouring back through the files, learning more this time than he'd done the first time.

For example, before Deputy Clinton Francis Barton's sixth grade year of school, he and his brother, Bernard "Barney" Barton had run away from their foster home in order to join the circus. No, seriously. Bucky has to read the note twice before the words sink into his brain. It was six months before they were picked up three states over, but in that time, Barton had learned how to shoot the bow that he was asked to join the US Archery Team. He declined and became a Marine instead. Bucky knew that Barton's a Marine, a gunnery sergeant and a sniper scout, but next to his military information, Coulson had added that the real reason that Barton resigned his commission had little to do with losing the majority of his hearing, and more to do with the last mission's target. But, it's a story that only Barton and May can tell.

_No, seriously. May threatened my ability to father children. And Audrey has already decided she's going to be the Portland Symphony Orchestra's first pregnant cello player, so._

As for the dispatch operator, " ~~Skye~~ Daisy Johnson," Bucky learned that not only is she just twenty-four years old, but also a computer genius who used to hack under the name RisenTide because, according to Coulson, she "hacked into the FBI's mainframe the same day she started her period at the age of thirteen." Bucky makes a mental note to never let her near his phone or that one email address that he uses just for that _one_ website.

When he flips to the page for Lincoln Campbell--their CSI when he isn't teaching at the high school--he finds a note in the tiniest handwriting that says, _And, God, for the love of all that's holy, don't ever let ~~Sk~~ Daisy and Lincoln lock up _ANYTHING_ after hours or otherwise because you will see things that can never be unseen. Hint: It's Lincoln's penis._

Melinda May's page remains completely devoid of sticky notes, except for one, not written in Phil's handwriting. _Don't ask. I won't tell._ And, okay, yeah, Bucky's slightly terrified of this woman, and he's only met her in passing.

The "it will always be too early for that" noise of Luna's Minnie Mouse alarm starts blaring about bows, and Bucky forces himself to put the files away. If he hurries, he has just enough time to stretch out his cramped back and then pour himself another cup of coffee (with just a bit of cream and honey) before Luna comes flying down the stairs, demanding he put her hair in the brand new hair bows.

It's already shaping up to be a long damn day, but with a little bit of luck (and some melatonin), maybe he'll sleep like a baby that night.

* * *

Apparently, there'd been a sort of moratorium on bugging the new sheriff and his daughter because up until he'd decided he and Barton needed lunch, Bucky hadn't met a single resident who wasn't directly involved with the ACPD or with getting Leelah's shot record up-to-date. As a result, he and Barton hadn't even been served their coffee yet before the residents of Avengers Cove began to flood Wilson's Family Diner with aplomb.

It isn't until after he's shaken a dozen hands, including Scott Lang the plumber ("Seriously, any size pipe or whatever drain cleaner you want, no matter what, it's yours.") and Pietro Maximoff the assistant to the letter carrier that Bucky notices Barton's shit-eating grin.

"You did this, didn't you?" Barton's grin becomes bigger and shittier.

"Oh, don't be coy, Barton. Let the man know what kind of subordinate he's got on his hands." Bucky looks up to find a drop-dead gorgeous red head standing beside his lieutenant. Barton's face went red.

"Nat, what are you doing here? Don't you have class to teach? You know... Away from here...?" He makes a shooing motion, apparently expecting the gesture to work in ridding himself of her, but the woman, Nat, just drops down beside Barton, forcing him to scoot over until she has enough room on the diner bench.

"Actually, I was on my planning period when I received a group message that read, 'Baby Sheriff en route to Sam's. Time to give him a Cove welcome!'" Barton fishes through his uniform pants until his finally pulls out his brand new Stark Phone. He thumbs through the lock screen before letting out the most disappointed sigh Bucky's heard since he told Leelah he really, really didn't think that Santa was going to put a baby brother in Daddy's belly for Christmas. Barton gives his phone a look as though the thing has purposely sabotaged him.

"Aw, group chat, no."

"Don't worry, Sheriff, I called the rest of the hounds off... Although I can't promise you won't be swimming in casseroles by the time you go home. I had to buy a deep freezer when I first moved to the Cove." 

"Oh, yeah?" Bucky's frowns, already thinking about where the hell he's going to put the damn thing. 

"Of course. I was the ex-Russian, ex-prima ballerina who'd over to the States in disgrace because I was a Romanov who dared give up the dance because she fell in love with an okay-looking jarhead on leave in Moscow." Barton looks up from his phone.

"Hey! Who are you calling 'okay-looking'?"

Nat leans across the table, whispering, "It was the ears that did it for me. You know, sticking out there the way those buzz cuts make them do? They looked huge, but all I wanted to do was nibble on them until he creamed his pants. And I did that the night we met. Twice."

"Oh, God, gross, Barton!" Oh, don't get him wrong, the whole ear-to-orgasm connection thing is something Bucky understands very well indeed, so that's not what's made him exclaim his disgust. Nor is it the fact that he now knows what his subordinate likes in bed. No, the cause of Bucky's exclamation and subsequent glare is the result of the fact that Barton had spit out the gulp of milk he had just taken to wash chocolate chip cookie down. Nat doesn't bat a fucking eye, just hands Bucky a wad of napkins so he could attempt to mop up the lukewarm milk and cookie detritus from his face and hair.

* * *

An hour later finds Bucky walking towards the local library in order to pick up a history book about the Avengers Minutemen. He's picking at a piece of cookie that's dried in his hair, and is seriously thinking about nibbling on the tress--because, really, he's faced things worse than milk and cookies from Barton's mouth--when he stumbles into Nick Fury, mayor of Avengers Cove.

"Ow!"

"Stanley, get your fool-ass mouth off of that man's leg." Okay, so, Bucky nearly stumbles straight into the mayor and his corgi, Stanley. Fury snaps his fingers and the dog heels. Bucky drops the hair he'd been contemplating, and only stammers a little bit.

"Oh, he's fine, Mr. Mayor. I should have - "

"Barnes, did I ask you? No. I surely did not. And you cut that Mr. Mayor shit, son. It's Nick Fury or just Fury. You got a vet yet?"

"Sir?"

"A veterinarian, for your dog, Barnes."

"Oh," _what dog_ , "not yet."

"Well, no one's better than Pete Quill, although that's probably because he's about half animal himself."

"Thank you, sir, I'll keep that in mind."

"I hear Barton tried to pull one over on you today."

"He did, try that is." God, why the fuck did he sound like his first day talking was yesterday? "But, Ms. Romanov from the high school put an end to it, sir."

"Oh? She still filling in for Rogers?"

"Sorry, sir?"

"Mr. Rogers, our own English teacher turned literary celebrity. You ever heard of him?"

"Uh, no, afraid I haven't si - "

"Barnes, you 'sir' me one more time and I'm going to let Stanley piss on your foot. This ain't the damn army, and I'm not your fucking CO." Bucky's face flushed.

"Uh, yes, s - " Fury arches an eyebrow. "Uh, just, you know, yes."

"Good. Now, I suggest you take yourself to the AC Public Library and ask Jarvis to point you to the S.G. Rogers shelf. If you're going to live and work here, you're going to need to know who your neighbors are." He stoops down to pick up Stanley. "Now, get out of my damn way. Library. Also, you smell like curdled milk and I definitely see you got some of Ma Wilson's triple chunk in your locks." Bucky feels his face flush as Nick Fury, mayor, overlord, bad ass, walks past him with his dog tucked under his arm. "Just get that damn stick outta your ass, and you'll be fine, Barnes." Bucky finally finds his voice.

"Uh, thank you, s-Fury." He waits until the man reaches the end of the corner and turned before he finds the errant cookie stuck in his hair. He manages a glance at his watch, and realizes that he's late picking up Leelah. Ah, well, she would forgive him after a trip to the library and a half dozen of Ma Wilson's Triple Chunk.

That little piece of chocolate heaven in his hair had tasted pretty damn good, even if it was pre-chewed Barton spittle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. More to come. I mean. There's a crime going to happen, and stuff. Also, yanno, the Steve and Bucky thing has to happen. It'll be great, and most likely embarrassing for at least Bucky, but probably also Steve as well. Yeah.

**Author's Note:**

> For Mr. JM. You know who you are, sir.


End file.
